What is a Pet Emergency

When a symptom is urgent, the animal should be seen as soon as possible. When the symptom is emergent, it is potentially life-threatening and the animal must be seen immediately.

• Allergic reaction (emergent)

• Insect bites, snake bites, bites or scratches from other animals (urgent)

• Trouble breathing (emergent)

  • Respiratory distress (shallow or rapid panting without exertion), difficulty breathing or nonstop coughing and gagging

• Lethargic (urgent)

  • Unconsciousness (emergent)

• Bleeding

  • Severe bleeding or bleeding that doesn't stop within five minutes (emergent)

  • Bleeding from the nose, mouth, rectum, coughing up blood, or blood in the urine (urgent)

• Not urinating

  • Male cat not urinating especially (emergent)

  • Minimum a few hours, showing obvious signs of pain (urgent)

• Seizures

  • And/or staggering and/or collapsed (urgent)

• Ingestion

  • You suspect or know your pet has eaten something poisonous (such as antifreeze, xylitol, chocolate, rodent poison, etc.) (urgent)

  • Ingestion of foreign bodies can trigger pain, bloating, vomiting, diarrhea (emergent)

• Eyes

  • Injuries to pet's eye(s), squinting, excessive tearing, obvious pain (urgent)

• Fractured bones, severe lameness or inability to move leg(s) (emergent)

• Heat stress or heatstroke (emergent)

• Severe vomiting or diarrhea – more than two episodes in a 24-hour period, or either of these combined with obvious illness or any of the other problems listed here (urgent)

• Refusal to drink for 24 hours or more (urgent)